Berlin welcomes IAEA-Iran nuclear monitoring deal

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Monday welcomed the latest nuclear monitoring deal between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran, calling it a "first positive step."

Speaking at a weekly news conference, German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr said: “It is a first positive step. After the trip, however, we also expect the IAEA to be able to service the cameras in the affected (nuclear) facilities very promptly as agreed and change the (cameras’) memory cards.”

Tehran on Sunday gave a green light for the UN nuclear watchdog to “service” the surveillance cameras installed at Iranian nuclear sites in an effort to ease concerns over Iran's nuclear activities.

The announcement came during the visit of International Atomic Energy Agency's chief Rafael Grossi to Tehran on Sunday, a day before the start of this week's IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.

Meanwhile, Adebahr urged Tehran again to return to the nuclear talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear accord, commonly known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"We hope for a very quick return to the negotiating table in Vienna. That would be a very sensible thing to do right now," she said.

Adebahr's remarks came after Iran's new foreign minister indicated earlier this month that his country's return to the nuclear talks in Vienna could still be months away.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted by Iran's IRIB state broadcaster as saying that the other sides participating in the talks understand that it would take "two or three months" for the new government to be established and prepare.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said while such a time span was "far too long," he expressed optimism on "a positive conclusion" of the Iran nuclear accord.

Delegations from the JCPOA's signatories -- the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China -- launched efforts in April to bring Tehran and Washington, which abandoned the deal in 2018, back into its fold. After the June 18 election victory of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, these negotiations in Vienna were suspended.

In the talks, Iran demands that all Western sanctions be lifted, while its interlocutors seek to reinstate controls on its nuclear program.